Swamp Rabbits Stuck in OT Loss to Gladiators | Pro Hockey News

DULUTH, Ga. – John Parker-Jones scored on his return to the lineup and Keaton Mastrodonato kept his hand warm with a tying goal in the middle of the third, but Isak Walther potted the game-winner in overtime to give the Atlanta Gladiators the second point in a 3-2 victory over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Saturday night.

Both teams skated to a scoreless tie after 20 minutes of play, with the Swamp Rabbits defeating the Gladiators 17-6. Finally, John Parker-Jones broke the deadlock on his return to Greenville. With 1:07 left in the second, Ryan O’Reilly and Ryan O’Hara forced the play behind the net, putting Atlanta’s defense out of position. Eventually, O’Hara found Parker-Jones in front, with the latter slamming home his pass from Gladiators goalkeeper TJ Semptimphelter to give the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead.

Atlanta found some life in the second and eventually took the lead, but the Swamp Rabbits found an answer not long after. Ryan Conroy got Atlanta on the board with 2:30 left in the game and was left in transition into Swamp Rabbits territory. Ryan Francis and Alex Young swung the puck through the zone and found it as the last man in the slot, with Conroy firing a shot past Swamp Rabbits netminder Mattias Sholl to tie the game at 1-1. On the Gladiators’ final power play of the game moments later, Alex Young took a pass from Louis Boudon and drove it from the left side past Sholl, giving the Gladiators their first lead at 2–1 with 10:36 to go (Boudon and Chad Nychuk assisted). However, 58 seconds later, the Swamp Rabbits found an answer when Carter Savoie found his captain, Josh Atkinson, at the blue line. Atkinson fired a shot through a sea of ​​humanity that went off Keaton Mastrodonato and past Semptimphelter, tying the game at 2-2 with 9:38 to play. Both teams were unable to solve each other for the remainder of regulation, leading to overtime.

It was only the second game of the season that the Swamp Rabbits played more than 60 minutes of regulation. Atlanta finally improved to 3-0 in overtime when Isak Walther raced past his defenseman and toward Sholl and slipped the puck near his outstretched leg to give the Gladiators the second point and a 3-2 victory with 1:28 left in OT.

Mattias Sholl stopped 25 of 28 shots in his first career post-regulation appearance (3-3-1-0).

The Swamp Rabbits conclude their two games against the Atlanta Gladiators tomorrow, November 30. Puck drop at Gas South Arena is scheduled for 3:10 PM EST